


Tea

by readwriteonly



Series: Moments [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 01:33:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5951154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/readwriteonly/pseuds/readwriteonly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hi Kate, how are you?"</p>
<p>Even now, Max was still the caring person she had been, but her eyes were downcast as she sat.</p>
<p>"I'm alright Max, a bit shaken up by everything but I'm doing ok. Can I get you some tea? the usual?"</p>
<p>"Yes, yes usual tea, usual tea would be great."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set around the Bay ending. For positive closure, please read my other story Bay before or after this.

Kate sat at a small table near the window, the smell of coffee and the soft buzz of conversation filled the air. It was warm and comfortable, she was glad she had asked Max to meet her here rather than in her room. Blackwell didn't feel welcoming anymore, for her or for Max.

Kate frowned as she spotted Max at the door. The girl's face was drawn and pale, her eyes rimmed with red. Kate waved at her and Max headed towards the table. Max had been witness to a shooting at Blackwell, and it had a dramatic effect on her. Kate had been shocked at the difference between the kind hearted, soft spoken girl who had asked her if she was ok that morning, and the haunted, shaking ghost that Mr Wells had helped out of the bathroom minutes later. 

Even now Kate wasn't clear on exactly what had happened inside, but as Mr Jefferson and the rest of the class arrived Max had flung herself at Kate. Kate could still hear the desperation in the voice in her ear "Get me out of here please", and so she had, helping her away to her room and sitting, mute company, as Max cried. It gave Kate a new perspective on her own problems, but she couldn't help feeling the price of her personal comfort was too high.

"Hi Kate, how are you?"

Even now, Max was still the caring person she had been, but her eyes were downcast as she sat.

"I'm alright Max, a bit shaken up by everything but I'm doing ok. Can I get you some tea? the usual?"

"Yes, yes usual tea, usual tea would be great."

Kate smiled slightly, rose from her seat and went to the counter. The two of them had been "Having tea" every week since Max had arrived at Blackwell. Kate was still uncertain how Max had figured out that she enjoyed tea, perhaps she just gave off that vibe, but it had quickly become a pleasant ritual between them.

Kate gave their order and paid. Normally they split the bill, but Kate didn't intend to mention it. Nonetheless, as Kate got back to the table Max was fumbling in her bag for change. Kate put the tea down, then reached over the table and took Max's hand, putting it down on the table and covering it with her own.

"I've got this, Max."

Max looked up and her for a moment then down at her hand, then nodded slightly.

"Thanks, Kate."

Both of them took a moment to do what Kate thought of as the tea dance: a little bit of a stir, a soft breath in. Kate always added a bit of honey to hers, and she stirred it softly for a moment, letting the ritual bring some peace.

"Are you ok to talk Max? we can just sit if you like, I don't mind."

"No, no talk is fine. Talk is good. I want to talk it's just ... it's so huge, like all the things I want to say are trying to get out my mouth at the same time, and instead just get stuck."

Kate smiled slightly.

"I know that feeling."

Max took a deep breath.

"Kate, I'm leaving."

Kate's heart sank. She'd been expecting it, but Max was one of her few real friends in Arcadia and she had privately hoped she would stay, that they could help each other. Looking at her now, Kate knew she'd been naive, the girl was suffering deeply.

"It's ... I'll miss you Max, I'll miss you a lot but I get it, I really do. If I were you I'd be terrified of Blackwell."

Max made a slight wave of her hand, a frown coming across her face.

"I'm not afraid. Nothing here can scare me now. Sometimes I wish Nathan had decided to get rid of the witness."

Kate froze, a chill runing up her spine. She'd known Max was taking it hard but this was worse than she'd let herself imagine.

"Max you ..."

Max looked up at Kate's tone, then her eyes widened.

"Shit I'm sorry Kate, I ... that was thoughtless, I'm not ... I'm not going to do that. I can't anyway, if I did there'd be nobody left to remember her."

"Her? Chloe? did you know her Max? I thought she had left Blackwell before you came?"

"We - my family - used to live here, when I was young. Chloe and I were friends. Best friends, for years. Shortly after her father died my mom got a job opportunity in Seattle and so ... so we left. I left."

"Did you keep in touch?"

Kate could feel Max's hand clench beneath hers at the question. 

"No. I was thirteen and it was all too confusing. William was like a second father to me and it was the first real grief I'd experienced. Being around Chloe was like burning myself over and over again."

Max looked down, her hair falling across her face.

"When we left it was almost a relief, an escape from the constant reminders. I shut her out of my mind and built myself a new life with no bad memories. By the time I realised what I'd done, the silence was like a wall. She'd only sent me a couple of letters early on, then nothing. I told myself that maybe she had found the same solace I had."

"You can't blame yourself for that."

Max looked up again, her red-rimmed eyes staring straight into Kate's.

"Yes. yes I can. I failed her Kate, in ways I can't even explain. I know it makes no sense to you but she was everything to me. She was everything, and I let her die."

"You couldn't have stopped Nathan!"

Max's hands clenched tighter and for a moment Kate thought she was going to disagree, but then her shoulders sank and she looked back down at the table.

"No, no as it turns out, I couldn't."

They sat in silence for a moment. Kate drew her hand back and took a sip of her tea, trying to make sense of what Max was feeling and how she could help. On the walk here she had thought of so many things to say, things her father had said to her, and bible quotes she found comforting. Faced with Max's raw misery all of them seemed trite and useless. Bereft, Kate fell back on the only thing she was sure was true.

"Max, I'm here for you. I can't begin to understand what you're going through but please, whatever happens, remember you're not alone."

"Thanks, Kate. There is one thing. I need a favour."

"Of course, anything, what can I do?"

"Chloe. Her funeral is on friday. She could be prickly, she didn't make friends easily and I don't want her to ... to be as alone as she was in her last moments. Could you come? and bring a few of the others? I can't talk to anyone else it's just ... hard."

"Oh Max, yes of course. I'll be there. I'll get Dana and ... don't worry, leave it with me. We'll be there for her. And for you."

Max nodded.

"Thanks ... Thanks Kate, for everything. I'll try to keep in touch but, if you don't hear from me for a while please don't worry too much. I won't do anything stupid, I swear. I've got a promise to keep."

"Ok Max, but don't make me wait too long ok?. Hey, can I walk you back to the dorm?"

"No I've ... I'm ok Kate, I just need to think."

"I told you, I'm good with silence, Max, I'm like a Blackwell ninja."

Max looked up at Kate and smiled slightly.

"Ok. Ok. Walk me back. Like a Blackwell ninja."

The two stood and left quietly, leaving two tea cups on the table, one half empty, and one untouched.


End file.
